Showrooming — the practice of using mobile phones to check online prices while in a retail store — can have major negative effects on your small business. Check out these tips to reduce (or eliminate) showrooming.

1. Boost the in-store experience.

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By making the shopping experience as positive as possible, you’ll discourage shoppers from buying elsewhere just by giving them an experience that cannot be replicated online.

2. Use technology to your advantage.

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Make checkout easy by offering customers the opportunity to check out via iPhone, or offer more information about products on tablets distributed throughout the store.

 

 3. Reward customer loyalty.

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By making your customers feel valued, you’ll keep them coming back into the store.

 

4. Offer free wifi.

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Though it may seem contradictory, available wifi influences where more than 48% of customers shop (via this survey).

5. Keep savvy staff.

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By making sure your staff is as knowledgeable about your business as the information available online, you’ll knock out the need for showrooming in the majority of cases.

6. Play up your unique (offline) features.

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Features like in-store pickup, free home delivery, free in-store returns and easy instantaneous availability all can keep customers coming into your store.

(Featured Image from Forbes.com)

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